Espino, Stacey - Corralling the City Girl [Ride 'em Hard 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (18 page)

“We need to talk.” Dawson’s voice cut through his reverie like a rusty blade. He cringed, knowing this talk would be significant.

Brad and Dawson sat by the fire. When Chase and Jane joined them, Dawson passed him a tin cup of coffee. “What’s this all about?” asked Brad.

Dawson began, “We’ve been out here for two weeks now. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we’ve all grown close, close enough we don’t want to be apart, ever.”

“That’s true. I plan to go anywhere Jane does.” Brad winked at Jane from across the fire.

“It’s not so black-and-white,” said Chase. The younger cowboy was like his brother, Matthew, impulsive, with his heart on his sleeve half the time. “You have sisters back home, and a momma, no? What will happen to them if the man of the house doesn’t return?”

Brad went quiet.

“Why’d you take this job in the first place?”

“We ain’t hurtin’ back home, but my oldest sister can’t have children… I wanted the money so she could have her dream of international adoption. It costs a pretty penny. She won’t be able to save for years to come, and she’s not getting any younger.” Brad took a deep breath and turned to face the fire.

“I didn’t know,” said Jane. “You have such a big heart. Surely God will reward that. I know it’ll all work out for all of us.”

Dawson stood up and stretched. “
If
we work through the night. If we sacrifice a night of rest it could mean the difference of Jane getting her inheritance or getting fuck all.” He grabbed his horse’s halter, leading him away. “You two need to consider if you’re ready for the commitment of a lifetime. Jane doesn’t deserve any less.” He mounted and disappeared into the twilight.

“What do you say, Brad? Can your womenfolk survive without you?” Chase wanted to hear how far he was willing to go for love.

“I’m not worried about them. Don’t you have a cowgirl in your family? If you do, you know they’re quite capable. I think they take more care of me half the time.”

He hadn’t even noticed when Jane got up, too busy speaking with Brad. By the time he heard her horse whinny, she was mounted and turning the horse toward the open field. “I won’t have you choose your families over me. It’s not fair to either of you, and you’ll only resent me later on.” Then she was off, and he felt every hoofbeat as she galloped away.

“Great! Now you’ve gone and done it!” Brad stormed away from the fire, kicking the supplies before reaching his gelding. “Both of you couldn’t leave well enough alone.”

“So you
are
willing to give it all up—for her?”

“What do you think? I’m not a playboy. I don’t fuck ‘em and leave ‘em!”

Chase met him at by the horses. “So you’re guilty?”

“No! I love her, Goddamn it!” He tossed a saddle blanket on his horse, and then bent to pick up his Western saddle. Chase stopped him with a hand to the shoulder.

“You sure about that, cowboy? Love is a big word. It can destroy a man as easily as it can bring him joy.” Chase was even more confused. Could a man fall in love in two weeks? He couldn’t imagine life without Jane, thought about her every hour, and wanted to do everything in his power to make her happy—was that love?

“I know what love is which is why I’m going after her and telling her exactly how I feel.” Brad left Chase alone to consider the choice of lifetime.

He returned to the fire.
Let them all run off like fools.
The flames leaped and danced, pulling him into a trance. Minutes passed until one blurred into the other, and he soon lost track of time. Every crackle of wood and red spark flitting into the night reminded him of his humanity. He wasn't getting any younger. He'd done exactly what he teased other men about—he held onto the safety of the apron strings far too long. It was beyond time for him to get his act together. What did his future hold? Chase had avoided commitment with women partly to defy his mother's constant demand he marry. But he was also avoiding responsibility, the future, true emotion.

Jane was his chance to have it all. She was gorgeous, but feisty. Her multifaceted personality would keep him on his toes until he was old and gray. But could he make that move? Would she even accept a proposal from him, especially when Brad and Dawson wanted her just as much? Considering their current predicament, she wasn't going to be a rich woman. If he committed to Jane, it would be for one thing only—love.

Chapter Seventeen

They'd spent the entire night pushing the cattle. Jane had almost fallen asleep in the saddle on a few occasions, but one of the men would always be there to nudge her awake. It amazed her to see how enthusiastic they were for her to reach her goal, not to earn their money, but because they wanted her to succeed. They really cared about her, and she felt it all the way to her marrow.

She'd wanted to give up in the wee hours of the morning before the sun rose, her body and mind beyond exhausted, but Dawson was there to give her the encouragement she needed. The cowboys worked themselves sick trying to make the nearly impossible deadline. Her heart went out to them, especially when she wasn't as optimistic.

Come morning, they didn't even break to have a bite to eat or rest. She saw the heaviness of Chase's eyes and forward slump of Brad's shoulders. Her heart went out to them. They did this for her, out of cowboy honor or love, she wasn't sure. More than anything, she wanted Dawson, Brad, and Chase to get the cattle moved in time because they deserved to succeed. She didn't even care if she had to forfeit every penny, as long as they got well-deserved recognition and their ten thousand dollars a piece.

When they were ten minutes from hitting noon and miles away from where they needed to be, she felt tears prick the backs of her eyes. She was so overly tired. The entire trip had been life changing, and the last final push cemented the bond between the four of them. Jane blamed herself, wishing she hadn't been such a drag earlier in the roundup. Every extra minute would have counted now, being so close, but still too far. The cowboys wouldn't let her take responsibility for the failure. Even once they knew they wouldn't be getting paid, they still tried to comfort her. They spoke sweet words that blended into her daydreams as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

As they finally neared the meeting place, she saw her cousin Ronald standing near a group of attorneys. Just witnessing the satisfied smirk on his face set her volatile emotions aflame.

“Congratulations on reaching your goal, Ms. Williams.” Jane hadn’t expected to see Mr. Reznik at the finish line. The cattle grazed around them, already settling onto their new territory. She smiled as she glanced at them. She couldn’t help herself. Those animals had become of part of who she was. The entire experience had. “Unfortunately, you’re a little too late.” He glanced at his Rolex and shook his head, almost mockingly.

“Yeah, well, we tried our best. Even rode through the night.” She knew she looked like a mess next to the clean-cut lawyer in his Armani suit and shiny black shoes. There were other suits behind him, carrying briefcases and looking around the dilapidated barn with a look of disgust, as if they were too good to be anywhere but downtown Alberta. They had no clue how much blood, sweat, and tears went into driving the cattle.

It would have utterly horrified her to be caught like this before the journey began—clothes dirty and torn, hair matted and filthy, no makeup, and dark bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. But it didn’t matter now. Being superficial was only a way to hide from the past, her pain, and her fears. What scared her now was the thought of losing Brad, Dawson, and Chase. They cattle drive was over and they’d be on their way, and she couldn’t even pay them for the blood and sweat.

“Like I told you in my office, Ms. Williams, your uncle was very specific in his will.”

"Too bad, but I wouldn't want to go against my uncle's wishes," said Ronald, winking in Dawson's direction. There was nothing innocent about the man. He'd sold out his own blood for money, stomped on his uncle's wishes by sabotaging the roundup, and now played the hero when he was anything but.

Jane reined in her temper. What was the point? “My uncle Williams gave me more than he could ever know, even if I don’t inherit a thing.” He had forced her to face reality, to allow Mother Nature to soothe her soul and teach her what was really important in life. She turned back to the three cowboys on horseback. They looked sullen and exhausted, but she still wouldn’t choose any other men in the world.

"Keep your money for the roundup, Ronald," Dawson called out. "I'm just sorry I agreed to help you ruin this girl in the first place."

Ronald leaned toward Mr. Reznik. "I think that one's been out in the sun too long."

The lawyer scowled. “I have vehicles that are ready to drive you back to the city, Jane.” She didn’t want to go back to the city, but was empty-handed now. What other choice did she have? She wouldn’t allow any one of the cowboys to support her, not because she’d be dependent—she was beyond that now—but because it wasn’t right. She had always supported herself, and wouldn’t be a leech.

How would she say good-bye? Tears began to prick at her eyes as the men in the outlying areas began to return to their vehicles. She wanted to plant an anchor, refuse to move if it meant distancing herself from Dawson, Brad, or Chase. They’d transformed her, helped her realize who she really was with their raw grit, passion, and rugged cowboy ways.

Chase dismounted and walked toward her, his face not carrying his usual boyish charm, but blank, even a little sad. “Is this good-bye? I said you could come home with me. I meant it.”

She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, her throat tight. He kissed her forehead and turned his back to her. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs for him not to walk away from her, but she kept silent.

Brad was next. He pulled her into a full embrace, resting his chin on the top of her head. “Jane, don’t go back. I know you better than this. You’re a cowgirl at heart, darlin’.”

“No. I’m not. This is your world, and your family needs you. Wish your sister the best of luck for me. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you the money for her adoption.”

“She’ll be fine. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Jane leaned back and gazed up into his ocean blue eyes, a reflection of the sky above them. “I love you.”

“You don’t, Brad. You really don’t.” She bit her lip hard to keep the emotion at bay. The metallic taste of her own blood filled her mouth. He said the one thing she couldn’t hear now, not when her emotions were more a muddle than they’d ever been.

She saw Dawson ride off in her peripheral vision. He didn’t even say good-bye. Mr. Reznik called for her, “Jane…”

“I have to go. Thank you for everything.” Jane ran the short distance to the vehicle where a man held a door open for her. The interior of the car smelled new, the leather seats plush, and the dashboard had every modern gadget. Before this journey began she would have been impressed, dreamed of the day she’d buy or lease one of her own. Not anymore. She wanted to watch the prairie sky light on fire when the sun set, watch the billions of stars, knowing she’d never be able to count a fraction of them before falling asleep, and she wanted to feel the strength of the three men who’d taught her what unconditional love was.

Claustrophobia encroached on her, making her feel tense and desperate. She bolted out of the car despite the protests behind her. Jane ran as fast as her weary legs could carry her, but she was too late. There was no sign of the three men who held her heart. Why hadn’t she realized what she wanted until now?

“Where’d they go?”

Mr. Reznik set his briefcase on an old rain barrel and lifted the lid. “I would prefer to do this in my office, but I think you’ll appreciate it more now.”

“Appreciate what? That Ronald will get the ranch now that I’ve failed?”

“Ronald? No, no. Like I said, your uncle was a very unconventional man. He wanted his family ranch to end up in the right hands. It was important to him that the new owner loved the land and appreciated the simple things in life, like any good cowboy should. His words, not mine.” He sorted through some paper work. “Sign here.”

“For what?”

“The ranch, cattle, and acreage are yours, Ms. Williams. Your uncle wanted to ensure you’d go through with the cattle run. Apparently he thought being out on the prairies for two weeks would make you worthy of inheriting his estate. He said you were his favorite niece. Even in his final years, he’d mention you on his visits to my office.”

"What?" Ronald shouted. "This is ridiculous! You specifically told me that I'd have the chance at getting the ranch if Jane failed."

"Like you said, you wouldn't want to go against your uncle's wishes. He fully intended on giving Jane his estate, but thought it would be a good lesson for both of you to think otherwise."